According to the United Nations (UN), the number of people displaced from their homes worldwide has reached a record high, surpassing 114 million. The main factors contributing to this displacement in the first half of 2023 were conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, along with an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Additionally, drought, floods, and insecurity in Somalia have added to the global displacement crisis, as stated by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
UNHCR reported that “the number of people displaced by war, persecution, violence, and human rights violations globally is likely to have exceeded 114 million at the end of September.” UN refugees chief Filippo Grandi expressed concern about the proliferation and escalation of conflicts around the world, which result in the suffering and uprooting of innocent lives. He called for improved international cooperation to prevent and resolve conflicts and enable displaced individuals to return to their homes.
The UNHCR’s Mid-Year Trends Report indicated that the number of displaced people worldwide increased from 108.4 million at the end of the previous year to 110 million by the end of June 2023. This 114 million figure at the end of September is a record since UNHCR began collecting data in 1975. The outbreak of the conflict between Hamas and Israel further exacerbated the situation.
At mid-2023, there were 35.8 million refugees who had sought refuge in other countries, and 57 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) within their home countries. Additionally, millions of individuals were asylum seekers or required international protection. Notably, a significant portion of displaced individuals originated from Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine.
Low- and middle-income countries hosted 75 percent of refugees and those in need of international protection. The countries with the highest number of refugees included Iran and Turkey with 3.4 million each, followed by Germany and Colombia with 2.5 million each, and Pakistan with 2.1 million.
In Syria, nearly half of the population remained displaced at mid-2023, with 6.7 million people within the country and an equal number of refugees and asylum-seekers, primarily hosted in Turkey.
The report also highlighted that between January and June 2023, there were 1.6 million new individual asylum applications, the largest number ever recorded in the first half of a year. The United States, Germany, and Spain received a significant number of these claims.
UNHCR emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to find solutions for refugees and other displaced populations, even in the face of ongoing conflicts. During the first half of 2023, 3.1 million people, including 2.7 million IDPs, were able to return to their homes.
